When you’re sitting in the Dhamma hall and meditating, what are you trying to do? You need to be clear about what you’re doing when you meditate – indeed you are trying very hard, to do what?
We’re trying to know what is happening; we’re not trying to make anything happen.
Different yogis have different ideas about meditation – some are trying to calm the mind and others are trying to silence their thoughts.
The right motivation for mindfulness meditation is to try to know what is happening in the mind and body in the present moment. We are trying to see the process as it is. We’re not trying to change or control the experience. We’re trying to know the process, that’s all.
Good or bad experience, we try to know. For example, if the mind is calm, we know the mind is calm; if the mind is not calm, just recognize that the mind is not calm – that’s it, finished! There is no need to do anything. So simple, that’s why it is so difficult.
People always want to do something difficult. Because of craving or resistance, they always try to make things difficult, but the meditation idea is so simple – as it is.
If the mind is wandering, just recognize as such; if you recognize what is happening in the present moment, you’re meditating.